NCARB hosted an inaugural Futures Symposium in Washington, DC, on December 7, 2023. The event was organized by NCARB’s Futures Collaborative, a volunteer committee tasked with exploring the future of architecture and its potential impacts on regulation.

This year, the Futures Collaborative expanded its conversations, bringing together subject matter experts with a larger audience to explore cutting-edge trends in the profession at the first-ever Futures Symposium.

NCARB President Jon Baker, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP shares remarks during the opening plenary.
Futures Collaborative Chair Dena Prastos, AIA, NCARB, opened the event providing an update on the work of the Futures Collaborative.

President Jon Baker, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, and Futures Collaborative Chair Dena Prastos, AIA, NCARB, opened the event providing an update on the work of the Futures Collaborative and introduced the themes of the day for attendees.  

Volunteers engage in small group discussions.

Topics focused on the interplay between technology, extreme conditions and the professions charge to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public, as environments and the world around us continue to evolve. 

Keynote speakers address attendees regarding new approaches to advancing the profession.

Attendees were able to hear from industry leaders in several sessions regarding innovative, big-picture ideas to approach the advancement of the profession. Keynote speaker Dr. Ariel Ekblaw from the Ariel Institute and MIT Space Exploration event kicked off the event with her session Beyond Boundaries: The Architect’s Role in Space Architecture. Panelists Kriss J. Kennedy and Katie Mesia, LEED AP BD+C, RA, followed with a session delving into Architectural Resilience Across Extreme Environments.

The final session, Architectural Intelligence: AI’s Impact on Practice, Ethics & Regulation, with panelists Dity Ayalon, AIA; Phil Bernstein, FAIA; and John Locke, AIA, explored the threats and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence, discussing how architects can continue to improve their process and expand practice by combining creative thought and new technologies.

 

Volunteers shared insights on topics discussed throughout the event.

To close the event, attendees engaged in small group discussions, where they were able to share their insights from the full event and explore what can be done next to lean into the advancement of accessibility, sustainability, and innovation within the profession of architecture.

The Futures Collaborative
The Futures Collaborative monitors and researches changes in the regulatory environment and the practice of architecture. FY24 members of the Futures Collaborative are:

  • Dena Prastos, AIA, NCARB 
  • Gabriella Bermea, AIA, NCARB, NOMA, LEED AP BD+C
  • Marjorie Eliason Brown, NCARB, AIA, LEED AP
  • Wyly Brown, AIA, NCARB 
  • Alastair Stokes, AIA, NCARB
  • Walt Teague, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, SEED AP
  • Kimberly Tuttle, AIA, NCARB, NOMA, CAE

Efforts will guide the ongoing development of forecasts of possible future outcomes as well as inform strategic conversations across the Council.